That is at the heart of most folks who own a stove/insert...I had the gas meter reader ask me last year why I wasn't using that much gas. I told him my setup and he looked at me perplexed and said...coal???

yes, gasoline "should be" more but regardless of what it costs to refine, its all about capacity and supply and demand. The unfortunate fact is that worldwide distillate demand is skyrocketing, much faster than gasoline or other petrolium byproducts; and there is more political pressure for oil companies to keep gasoline prices low by keeping higher supplies, than there is for distilate fuels; thus they make more gasoline, less distialates and now distillate prices are abnormally high.

Are you guys quoting prices from oil companies that you have service contracts with, or not? I get my oil COD from the oil guy, no annual service contract, nothing. I call and say "give me 900 gallons" and he does just that, nothing more. Any burner servicing is done by a separate guy, for about 100 bucks. If anything goes wrong with the burner, I call the guy, he comes within a few hours. (it only happened once, about 6 years ago, cost me 80 bucks) I factored the hundred dollars into the cost of oil, and I always come out ahead using COD oil. My last 2 fills were around 2 bucks a gallon, 2.02 was 3 weeks ago.

Coal Dust wrote:What's up that? why is the price of #2 fuel oil MORE than gasoline??? Isn't gasoline way more refined (more work). It should be less in price...No?

Diesel (same product essentially) is the same way. Customers inquire about the price increase and I tell them that the price of fuel is one reason. They don't realize that diesel is hovering around 2.65 a gallon... At one point it was less than the price of regular unleaded not too long ago, now it's more than premium...

beaverman wrote: My neighbors, depending on the size of their house are paying between $500-$800/month to heat their homes. My gas furnace has ran twice since November.

Same as above. One day the local gas company came down the drive in a little p/up truck. A man holding an "exceptions" report that contained a list of accounts that used a lot more or a lot less than past recordings got out of the truck and met me as I walked out to greet him. Knowing what was going on, I was pointing to the chimney and he took notice and said, "well I guess THAT explains why your usage is SO low." Of course, he admitted having alternate heat sources at his own house that had an account with his company.

I'm still on the same tank of oil from Sept. 22!! I'd be on my 4th tank right now, if it weren't for coal. I have just under 1/4 tank left. I still have to run the baseboard heat (on the weekends only, to save $$$) to have a comfortable house.

I had to pick up another 1/2 ton a couple weeks ago...was gettin' low. Temps have gone back to normal around here (right now it's 10*F), so I may even have to pick up more before the season is over. Then, I'll have to come up with another $500 for a tank of oil for spring, summer & fall hot water.

Been a friggin' PRICEY year for heat!!!

I figure, even though I saved some cash by going with coal, I'm still right where I would have been just buying oil, due to the initial costs of buying the stove. Next season I'll have to buy and install a stainless chimney (so I have homeowners insurance!!!), so I'm not going to be ahead for a few years yet.

But at least my money went to America, instead of that sand pit in the middle east

Massachusetts government (all liberals) has been very helpful with my cash problem: THEY RAISED MY PROPERTY TAXES 85%!!!!! I alone could probably pay the nut on FAT TEDDY'S mansion with my taxes!!

I wish everyone would use an alternate source. Maybe then they would get the hint and the flippin' price of diesel would come down.. I am sick of paying $2.50+ for diesel for my truck.
Went looking for a diesel VW Jetta for wifey. My buddy has one and he get 50 mpg+ !!
I could just imagine what it would cost to heat my 3,500sq ft. log home that is built in a stinkin' wind tunnel. It is about 20deg. right now with about 40 mph winds. I'm nice and toasty with my coal boiler slaving away.
Cost of coal to heat home --- $50 a ton ( soft coal)
price I pay "The Man" for heat --- a big Fat $0.00 !!!!

Smitty,
I looked into the stainless chimney also. I was looking at $1,800 for my 35 foot run I needed. I then looked for a local handyman to build a regular flue block chimney. It cost me $300 for material and $300 for the labor. I'm sure I got a deal but you might want to look around and see what you can come up with. Worth a try anyway. Not to mention they look alot nicer than stainless. .
My neighbor has a stainless and has had it up for 3 years now. he says he thinks he can only get another year or two out of his $1,500 chimney !!

BTW, when I was in Desert Storm we pulled into Dubai ( I'm a Navy vet) and we rented a car for the weekend, filled the tank for $4.00 (us $.) !! These Camel Jockeys do not pay anywhere close to what we pay. They are ripping us off and the good citizens of the US of A are letting them do it !!! Diesel cars make up something like 33% of the vehicles in Europe, here it is more like 3%